Domestic appliance



July 5, 1932. R. 1... LEE

DOMESTIC APPLIANCE Original Filed March 31, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l MMMMM w July 5, 1932. LEE 1,865,867

DOMESTIC APPLIANCE Original Filed March 31, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 EAL A L. [55

3 4. nhwm am y Patented July 5, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RALPH L. LEE, 0 DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO DELCO-LIGI-I'l COMPANY, or 15mm,

- 01110, A oonPonArron or DELAWARE noMEs'rro APPLIANCE Original application filed March 31,1923, Serial no. 629,201. Divided-and this application filed August 31, 1927, Serial No. 216,756. Renewed November 19, 1931. I

The present invention relates to improve ments in washing machines and more particularly to the interior structure thereof.

It is an object of the'invention to provide a washing machine having an improved readily removable clothes support "or false bottom and means for locking the support in position in the tub of the machine in which it is to be used.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved combination of the clothessupporting means With means associated with the interior of the tub for producing an improved washing effect during operation of the machine.

This application 1s a division of my coending application, Serial No. 629,201, filed farch 31, 1923, and While the invention of the present case is particularly applicable to the type of machine described in the copendving application, it is to be understood that it is capable of use in other types of washing machines. 7

Further objects and advantages of, the

present invention will be apparent from the followingdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein apreferred form of the presentinvention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved laundry machine described in my copending application.

F ig- 2 is a view of a portion'of the clothes support of the tub of the laundry machine.

Fig. 3 shows the method of fastening the individual parts of the clothes support together. I

Fig. 4. shows a cross section of a washing machine tub illustrating the preferred method of positioning the clothes support 7 I or false bottom.

I oscillating tub type described in the eopend- Figs. 5 to 8 are diagrammatic views illustrating the operation of the machine, using the improved false bottom or baflle.

In the machine illustrated, whichis of the ing application above referred to but which may be of any other conventional type, a tub 23 ismounted in a frame 21, 24, preferably strips 87 are secured to the sides of the tub 23 and the baffle plates8t and 85 are provided with hooked members88 which pivotally engage strips 87. The baffle plates 84 and 85 project upwardly at a slight angle and meet at the center so as to form a false bottom, the crown thereof being located at the central portion of'the'tub.

A top view of a portion of one of the baffle r plates 85 is shown in Fig.2. It is made preferably of non-rusting metal and the size and number of the holes 187 are so proportioned as to co-operate with the driving mechanism in such a manner that the clothes will be pressed against the plates'by the water issuing through the holes in a plurality of relatively small jets. These holes should not be too large or the clothes will become entangled with the baflles and will not slide along with the proper rubbing action. On the other hand if the holes are too small, then the action of the water will be unduly retarded, andthe suction pressure of the Water tending to hold the clothes on the bafde and thus retarding their sliding movement would not be sufficient to effect the proper washing action. The number of holes has by experiment been found to be preferably one per square inch of the total baffle area and the ratio of solid bafile area to apertured baffle area preferably 2.5 to 1. C V

The baflle plates are also supported on U- shaped members 9st and are locked by a device which holds one plate while that plate in turn retains the other in position. This locking means comprises a hook 91 (Fig. 3) disposed on the baflie plate 84: where it meets plate 85; the'hook 91 may bejengaged by plate 85. A catch member 92 provided P1 adjacent each end of the tub, one being shown pivoted at 93 on plate 85. Each catch member 92 is adapted to engage the under side of one of the U-shaped members 94. The catch member 92 is provided with a push button 95 which when pressed downwardly will cause the latch 92 to clear the member 94. When plate 85 is removed from hook 91 of plate 84, plate 84 may then be removed. The push buttons 95 project thru openings 96 so that they are accessible and the head of the button is suitably rounded off to prevent snagging of clothes. A. spring 97 normally tends to maintain each latch 92 in engagement with the U-shaped keeper 94. The tub is preferably provided with a suitable closure which may comprise a lid 102 adapted to lit into any suitable lid retaining means asso-' ciated with the tub (not shown). A drain colcjk 109 may be provided for emptying the tu Mode of operation The operation of the machine as applied to the washing of clothes is illustrated diagrammatically in Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive considered. in connection with the operating mechanism broadly illustrated in Fig. 1. i

j i The tab 23 is filled with water to a little above the horizontal plane of its supporting axes as shown by the level 189 in Figs. 4 and 5. j A mass of clothes 188 is placed upon the bafiies or perforated false bottom members 84 and 85, the clothes being submerged a su stantial distance below the level 189; As the tub swings counter-clockwise in the position shown in Fig.6, the clothes will tend to pile as indicated at 188a against the left side of the tub while a portion of the clothes will trail along as indicated at 1886 upon the bafile 85. The clothes are thus being subjected to the action of a plurality of jets of water 190 and 191 issuing respectively thru the bafiies 84 and 85 and in opposite directions. Thus, while the clothes are moving in the direction of arrow 194 in Fig. 6, they are being subjected to the action of water in directions transverse to the direction of most of the clothes along the b'a'fiie plates. The action of the jets 190 tends to retard the motion of the clothes because the currents of water tend to suck the clothes downwardly thru apertures in the baffie 85 and thereby tend to cause the clothes to be rubbed against the baflie plates as the clothes move along the latter and to retard the motion of the clothes relative to the motion of the water. While the clothes are moving in the direction of arrow 194 they are subjected also to the action of the impact of water directed by the left hand deflector 83 which causes the waterto be diverted as indicated by arrow 192 and to be splashed upon the clothes from above as indicated by the arrows 193. Thus while the clothes pass over the bailleplates they are being subjected to the action of water from both sides of the mass of clothes, these streams tending to wash thru the clothes.

The motion of the tub 23 in the counterclockwise direction is quickly arrested by the driving mechanism described in the copending application and its motion in the opposite direction is very rapidly accelerated. Therefore, that water which has already been started by virtue of the left baffle 83 will be hurled very quickly against the right side of the tub before the clothes can come into contact with the right side of the tub as viewed in Fig. 7. A. short interval of time after the tub has swung midway between its extreme tilted positions, or substantially as soon as the tubhas arrived in the position shown in Fig. 7, the water will have splashed against the right side of the tub with a substantial.

force and will begin to be thrown up against the right hand deflector 83. At this instant, as shown in Fig. 7 the clothes are traveling in the direction of the arrow 199 but they cannot keep up with the water moving in this direction because of the retarding action of the jets 195 and also because the clothes do not reverse their motion as soon as the motion of the water is reversed. Therefore, by the time that the body of water has slapped against the right side of the tub the clothes have proceeded to the right about as far as indicated by numeral 1880. Therefore, there is a space between the right end of the body of clothes and the right side of the tub as in dicated by arrows 197, and therefore a portion of the body of water following the course of arrows 195, 196 and 197 assists in piling up the water to form the wave or crest indicated at 198. This free flow of Water assists in increasing the suction of water produced by jets 195 tending to increase the action of water which retards the sliding of the clothes. Since the water is traveling faster than the clothes during the swing of the tub in the position shown in Fig. 8, the water will be deflected by the right hand deflector 83 thereby causing it to roll over in the direction of the arrows 201 and 202 while the clothes are still moving in the direction of arrow 200. The clothes will trail behind as indicated at 188d in Fig. 8, because of the retarding action of jets 195 tending to press the clothes against the baifle 84 causing them to be subjected to a rubbing action.

The tub is quickly arrested and quickly accelerated in a counter-clockwise direction again so that the washing action will be repeated as heretofore set forth, the motions of the water and clothes being reversed.

It apparent that the present invention provides for washing clothes by means producing the maximum difference between the motion of the water and the motion of'the clothes while the clothes are being rubbed. More particularly the process of washin'g'ineludes subjecting the clothes to a rubbing action on a special baflie or plate while subjecting the clothes to the action of water transverse to the rubbing action and issuing in jets directed in a plurality of directions. WVhile the clothes are being rubbed they are also subjected to the action of a current of water passing in the direction of the rubbing action, said current of water moving faster than the clothes. l/Vhile the clothes are caused to rub along the support they are subjected to the action of water on both sides. of the clothes and issuing through the clothes in a direction generally with that of the rubbing action.

By the present invention therefore the force of water is utilized to cause the clothes to be rubbed against the surface of the baflie as well as to cause the water to be forced through the clothes in a plurality of directions simultaneously. By virtue of these combinations of cleansing actions to which the clothes are subjected simultaneously, the efficiency of the washing process is greatly improved and therefore the time required for washing is materially reduced while the clothes are washed cleaner and with less damage than heretofore.

The improved bafiie or false bottom above described is easily manufactured and may be readily and rapidly positioned in and removed from the tub of a washing machine.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. Vashing apparatus comprising, in combination, a tub, and means for supporting the clothes including a plurality of removable sections supported at the sides of the tub and meeting at the central portion of the tub, and means for locking one of said sections in position, said section comprising means for locking another of said sections in position.

2. Washing apparatus comp-rising, in combination, a tub having inwardly extending strips on opposite, inside walls thereof, a false bottom in said tub, comprising two perforated plates each having a hook portion engaging its respective strip, said plates each having a flanged edge the one of which interlocks with the other, and a latch for detachably securing one of said plates to the tub whereby the other is maintained in position in the tub.

3. Washing apparatus comprising, in combination, a tub, a false bottom therein, said bottom comprising two flat removable sections meeting substantially midway between the sides of the tub, and means for securing one of said sections in position, said section comprising means for locking the other section in position.

4t. ashing apparatus comprising, in combination, a tub, a false bottom therein, said bottom comprising two flat removable sections meeting substantially midway between the sides of the tub, means providing a connection for one of said sections with said tub, means for removably securing the other of said sections in position, said latter section comprising means for locking the other first-named section in position.

5. Washing apparatus, comprising, in combination, a tub, a false bottom therein, said bottom comprising two flat removable sections meeting substantially midway between the sides of the tub, and a single latching mechanism for securing said sections in position.

6. Washing apparatus comprising, in combination, a tiltable tub for containing water, a false bottom therein for supporting clothes and sloping downwardly from the center at a substantially constant angle toward opposite sides of the tub, said bottom having perforations, the ratio of solid area of the bottom to the perforated area being approximately 2.5 to 1.

7. Washing apparatus comprising, in combination, a tiltable tub for containing water, a pivot for said tub, a false bottom therein for supporting clothes, said bottom being disposed below the pivot, said bottom providing a substantially smooth supporting surface permitting sliding of the clothes from one side of the tub to the other and having perforations distributed in a manner to retard'the sliding of theclothes over said surface when the tub is tilted about said pivot.

In testimony whereof I hereto affix my signature.

RALPH L. LEE. 

